


Caramel Blond

by Seasonal_Tea



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Aged-Up Yuri Plisetsky, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Daemons, Idiots in Love, Illnesses, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-23 01:40:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16609451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seasonal_Tea/pseuds/Seasonal_Tea
Summary: When Yuuri Katsuki started a cafe, the last thing he expected was for a certain blond to walk through the front door and steal his heart. And Yuri Plisetsky certainly had no intentions of finding love when he stopped in for coffee. Yet here they are.Will Yuuri and Yuri be brought together? Or will Cafe Kachit be the end of their spark?





	Caramel Blond

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first fanfic ever, and I am so glad to be contributing to the Yuri on Ice fandom. I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> I would like to thank my betas, [Artemystic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemystic/pseuds/Bishie%20Huntress) and [Emmcognito](emmcognito.tumblr.com). Without them, my fic would be in grammar hell!

Yuuri sighed and leaned on the counter.  _ Another day, no customers in sight _ . On his shoulder--bright and shining blue--a small hedgehog flopped over. Guess his Daemon knew him better than he let on. He really  _ was _ tired and bored. 

 

When he and his best friend, Phichit, decided to open a coffee shop near the train station, their parents all thought it was a great idea. Surely there would be plenty of customers flocking to them in such a prime location. But six months later, Yuuri could see that it had been a bad idea. Averaging two to three customers a day, in truth, they weren't sure how much longer they could stay open. Unless business picked up soon, Yuuri knew he would have to write it off as a bad investment and move along somehow.

 

Turning around towards the carafes to clean them (not that they needed it), Yuuri startled when he heard the bell above the door jingle softly. With a smile fixed upon his face, he swung towards the door to greet whoever had entered the shop. “Wel...come…”.

 

Facing him and removing his sunglasses, Yuuri beheld the most beautiful human he had ever seen in his life.  He was rather small, with bright blond hair, spring green eyes, and an animal print hoodie. Even the glare upon his face didn't mar that. On his left shoulder, a glowing Siamese cat slowly flicked its tail, annoyed.

 

“He-hello! Welcome to Cafe Kachit. What would you like?” 

 

“Extra-large caramel macchiato, four shots of espresso”.

 

“Whoa, that’s a lot of caffeine this late at night!”

 

“Is it?” the blonde spoke, his Daemon's tail swishing faster.

 

_ Oh no, I pissed him off! What do I do?!? _

 

Trying not to panic and give himself away via his own Daemon, Yuuri swallowed nervously and smiled. “We-well, for most people it would be! But maybe you've got plans?”

 

Looking him straight up and down, the blond merely answered “Yes,” lightly beginning to tap his foot  impatiently.

 

Pulling the last shot for the drink, Yuuri added it and stirred it a bit, before popping on the lid and handing it to the other man.

 

“Here you go! Please, try it before you leave.”

 

The blond sipped the macchiato slightly. “Not bad. How much?”

 

Slightly distracted by watching the man drink, Yuuri startled a bit. “O-oh! That'll be 480 Yen.”

 

Placing the money on the counter, the blond turned back around, the Siamese Daemon calm. “Thanks for the drink.” Once again, the bell lightly tinkled as the door opened, spilling him into the night.

 

As soon as he was gone, Yuuri covered his face and squealed, his hedgehog running around in circles.  _ Holy shit, he's so cool! I wonder why he needs so much caffeine at 10 pm, though _ . Sighing, he continued cleaning the shop, prepping for close. It was only after he was finished, leaving the shop and shoving the keys in his pocket, that he realized he had forgotten to ask for the blond's name. Dejected, he hoped he would see him again. For now, he was Caramel Blond in his head.

~~~~~

 

The next day found Yuri practicing his free skate routine at the rink a few blocks from the cafe he had visited yesterday. As he began the flowing stepwork which would lead into a triple Salchow, he couldn’t keep his mind off of that barista he met yesterday. Unlike his rinkmates, most of whom were flashy, loud, and sometimes irritating, he was the opposite. Perhaps that’s why he found him so intriguing. Otherwise, he wasn’t terribly distinctive looking, really: thick black hair, warm brown eyes, and a pair of square blue eyeglasses. But there was something about him - the softness of his face, the small smile, the awkward way he spoke to Yuri when taking his order - that would not leave his mind. Unfortunately, this train of thought led to a loss of footing and he found himself falling onto his ass, hard. 

 

“What’s the matter, ‘Ice Tiger’? Someone cut your claws?”

 

Looking across the ice, Yuri saw one of his rivals, JJ LeRoy, holding his stomach with laughter. Deciding to ignore him for now, he pulled himself up off the ice and glided to the side rails, pausing to slip on his skate guards.

 

“None of your business, LeRoy. I made one mistake. It will not happen again.”

 

“Alright, alright, calm down. I was just teasing,” the Francophone man stated with a little giggle-snort. 

 

Needing a distraction (and a break from JJ’s antics), Yuri decided to head to the cafe down the street. Perhaps a bit of coffee would have him right as rain again. 

 

“I’m heading to grab coffee. Does anyone here need anything?”

 

“Black coffee,” Seung Gil muttered.

“White chocolate mocha, please,” from Minami.

“A double-double and a croissant, s’il vous plait. And make it snappy,” JJ annoyingly interjected, making sure to put as much emphasis on the French words as possible. 

Yuri decided to ignore his attitude for now.

 

“Alright, I’ll be back soon”.

 

The walk to Cafe Kachit did wonders. By the time Yuri arrived, his Siamese Daemon was contentedly purring on his shoulder as he opened the door, the smell of coffee and pastries pleasantly assaulting his nose. 

 

Once again, the bespectacled man from yesterday was standing behind the counter, though this time he had his head laying on his arms. He wondered for a second if perhaps he should find another cafe. Maybe the man didn’t get enough sleep?  _ Not that I care, of course. It’s just a bit bizarre. That’s it.  _ But the macchiato he had yesterday was probably the best coffee he had drunk in his 18 years. Gently, Yuri reached forward and shook the man.

 

Jumping slightly, he looked up, blushing as he spotted Yuri.

 

“H-hello! I’m so sorry, please forgive me,” he stuttered, blushing deeper as he bowed to Yuri, the hedgehog on his shoulder curling up in a tighter ball.  _ Damn, I didn’t mean to embarrass him. _

 

“Hey, it’s cool, it’s cool,” he reassured, waving his hands a bit to punctuate his point. “Are you alright?”

 

“Of course! Just a bit tired, hehe. What would you like today?”

 

“An extra-large caramel macchiato with four shots, a medium white chocolate mocha, a medium black coffee, and a large coffee with two creams and two sugars. Oh, and a croissant, if you have one.”

 

“It seems you were chosen for the coffee run, hmm?”

 

Unable to stop himself from smiling softly, Yuri looked at the man behind the counter and said, “Yeah. My rink mates needed a pick-me-up, and I was taking a break from my routine, so…”

 

“Oh! You’re a figure skater?”

 

“Yes. Just down the street.”

 

Bustling around making drinks, Yuuri smiled brightly, exclaiming “So cool!”  _ I wonder what his name is. I’d love to see his routines.  _ A lightbulb went off above as his head as he realized this was the perfect opportunity to ask.

 

“Is there a name I can put this order under? I forgot to ask you yesterday.”

 

“Oh! Yuri. Yuri Plisetsky”. To his surprise, the other man laughed softly as he turned around, setting the drinks on the counter in a to-go tray, ducking down to grab a croissant out of the display case with a small pair of tongs. 

 

“What’s so funny?” Yuri was genuinely perplexed, the emotion mirrored by the feline tilting its head slightly on his shoulder.

 

“My name is also Yuuri. Katsuki Yuuri.”

 

Yuri stared in surprise for a moment before composing himself.

 

“How interesting. What an odd coincidence. How much for the drinks?” he asked as Yuuri ( _ what a nice name _ ) finished up the order.

 

“1600 yen, please.”

 

Fishing the money out of his pocket, Yuri handed other-Yuuri two 1000 yen notes. He tried not to blush when he was handed back his change, Yuuri’s hand brushing lightly against his. “Thanks for the drinks.”

 

“No problem! Thank you for your patronage.”

 

As the blond man left, Yuuri squealed slightly, his hedgehog squealing and running laps around him. He knew his Caramel Blond’s name, and that was enough.

****

 

The walk back to the skate rink seemed brighter than when Yuri had originally left. Perhaps the sun had come out stronger. Regardless, the weather must have affected him, because JJ smirked when Yuri walked back into the rink. Passing out the drinks, JJ reached for his double-double, but not without first teasing the blond. “Did you see something you like at the cafe? Something more than the coffee, hmmm?” 

 

Yuri, having enough, jostled the cup as he handed it to JJ, shoving his drink roughly into his hands and spilling some of the hot coffee onto the Quebecois. JJ gasped and sputtered, opening his mouth to accuse Yuri of doing it on purpose, when Yuri grabbed his own drink and flounced towards the boards.

 

“Maybe watch those double-doubles, LeRoy. You’ll get too fat to skate.”

 

Yuri smiled at the sounds of indignation coming from the other man, taking a long sip of his drink before slipping his skates back on, readying himself to take to the ice with thoughts of other-Yuuri filling his mind.

~~~~

 

Soon enough, Yuri had built a routine around the cafe. Every morning, he would stop by for his four-shot macchiato, and every morning Yuuri would smile at him, bright as the sun. He was beginning to get addicted to that smile. 

 

After two weeks of this routine, he decided to take a chance on the other man. After all, they were friends now, and friends show each other their passions, right?  _ Right! _

 

Walking into the cafe as usual, Yuri spotted the raven-haired man behind the counter, looking much brighter than one normally would at six-something a.m. 

 

“What are you so happy about?” he asked in a joking manner. Whatever the reason for the change, he was glad to see the other man looking so happy. 

 

“No-nothing! It’s just such a nice day outside, you know?” he answered, blushing a bit. 

 

“It’s raining.”

 

“Oh, it is! I d-don’t know. Just one of those days, I guess!”

 

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I’m just teasing you a bit. Besides, I wanted to ask you something,” he reassured Yuuri, a smile in his voice.

 

“What did you want to ask? Looking for a new coffee recommendation?”

 

“No, no, nothing like that. You’ve got nothing but coffee on the brain, you know that?”

 

“Oh. Sorry!”  _ God, learn when to shut up, you idiot. _

 

Yuri frowned slightly at the other man, who looked as if he was beating himself up internally. Unsure as to what Yuuri could be berating himself for, he decided to change the subject. 

 

“So, you know that I figure skate, right?”

 

“Of course! You’re amazing!” Yuuri enthused, before ducking his head down, realizing he sounded a bit like a crazed fanboy. His Daemon turned around as well, hiding their face entirely.

 

“How do you know that?” Yuri asked, brows knitting in confusion. He was positive he had never seen the other man at the rink before. 

 

“I might have...looked you up a little bit?”

 

Aah. Google. Of course. “Well, anyway, you may have seen me online, but it’s not nearly the same as watching me in real life. If I do say so myself.”  _ Goddamnit, stop talking! _

 

“Are you asking me to come and watch you?” Yuuri asked shyly.

 

“Yeah. What do you say? How about it?”

 

“We-well, I’d have to ask Phichit, but I think I could come see you later tonight?”

 

“Perfect! How about I give you my number, so that you can let me know when you’re coming?”

 

“Of-of course! Here you go!” Fumbling a bit, he pulled his phone out of his apron pocket and handed it over. Taking it from the other man, Yuri quickly typed in his number and handed it back. 

 

“There you go. See you later!” 

 

“Yeah. See you,” Yuuri mumbled as other-Yuri walked out and away from the cafe. If he gave a slight fist pump and a small _ yes  _ after he had left, well, no one else would know for sure. Pulling out his phone once again, he opened his contacts and dialed his best friend. The sooner he asked, the better.

 

After two rings, a voice on the other end cheerfully greeted him. “Yuuri! How’s everything at the cafe going?”

 

“Oh, you know, the usual. Not many customers besides Yurio.”

 

“Who’s Yurio?” Phichit asked, slightly confused.

 

“Oh! That’s the blond guy that started coming in a couple weeks ago. The one that always orders the caramel macchiato with four shots?” he explained. “It’s just… it’s a bit impersonal to call him Caramel Blond when I know his name, don’t you think? And I can’t call him Yuri all the time, or it’ll get too confusing. Yurio just...seemed to fit,” he finished, trailing off. 

 

“Aaah,  I see. So you’ve got his name now, hmm?” Phichit teased a bit.

 

Deciding to ignore the ribbing from his best friend, he took a deep breath before launching into his question. 

 

“Yes, I do. Anyway, he invited me to the watch him skate at the rink down the street tonight, and I was wondering if maybe you could cover for me?”

 

Phichit smiled at the other end of the phone. On his shoulder, his hamster Daemon popcorned a bit. He was glad to see that his friend may have found someone. 

 

“Of course! What are bros for?”

 

“Thank you so much! I won’t forget this!” Yuuri responded enthusiastically. 

 

“It’s cool. You’ll just have to come in a little earlier than usual for a couple mornings, alright?”

 

“Oh, um...I guess I could.”

 

On the other end of the line, Phichit burst into laughter. “I’m kidding! Have fun tonight. And Yuuri?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Go get your man.” 

 

At the sound of Yuuri spluttering wordlessly, Phichit laughed again and then hung up the phone. 

~~~~

 

Around five that evening, after handing off the shop keys to his friend and coworker (and not without a wink from said friend), Yuuri found himself heading down the street to the skating rink. He had messaged Yurio earlier, so he knew that his presence was expected. Still, he hoped he wouldn’t serve as a distraction for the blond. Yurio was a pro and would keep soaring to the top. He didn’t want to hold him back. 

 

Continuing to fret, it wasn’t long before he walked into the rink. Looking around, he wondered where Yurio was.  _ He said he wanted me to watch him, didn’t he? _ Suddenly, a spotlight shone on the ice. From all around him, music swelled, violin and electric guitar combining into a fast-paced riff that had him subconsciously tapping his toes. From the sidelines, Yurio glided across the ice, standing in the spotlight. Another two beats, and he broke out of his pose, beginning some quick footwork that brought to mind a tap-dancing routine. 

 

_ He’s beautiful,  _ Yuuri thought, spellbound by the movements in front of him. 

 

The footwork led into a flawless layback spin, and then a triple Salchow. Yurio glided across the ice, spinning fast as the music sped up. Flowing into a spin as the beat dropped, he twirled too many times to count before looking across the ice and towards the bench where Yuuri sat. The blond made sure that Yuuri was watching as he pointed at him, tapping and twizzling so fast his feet were nearly a blur. Finally, he glided around the rink once more, building up momentum, and launched himself off the ice into a quadruple lutz.  _ Okay, so I may have added that to impress him _ . Regardless, Yuri landed cleanly, doing one final small spin before holding his arms out triumphantly as the music ended. 

 

Jumping up, Yuuri clapped enthusiastically as Yurio skated towards the boards, grabbing his water bottle from the side of the rink and taking a long pull. “Bravo!” he shouted, before clapping his hands over his face in embarrassment. Grinning at him, Yuri stepped off the ice and slipped on his skate guards before walking towards his friend. 

 

“So, what did you think?” the blond asked, a little nervous to hear Yuuri’s assessment, his Daemon frozen in place. 

 

“You were amazing!” Yuuri enthused. “Well, I mean, you’re always amazing, but that was so good! All the jumps and the spins and...you’re so cool, Yurio!”

 

“Yurio?” Yuri asked, brows knit in confusion. 

 

Yuuri looked down, his face pinkening, before he looked up, twisting his hands together, and answered, “Yeah. It’s a...nickname. So it’s easier to tell us apart when people talk about us. I hope you don’t mind.”

 

“No, it’s nice. I haven’t had a nickname in a long time. Well, except for ‘The Ice Tiger of Russia,’ but I didn’t have a choice in that one,” he said, feeling his face slowly heating up. 

 

“Aah, yeah.” Yuuri rubbed the back of his neck a bit nervously before looking up at Yuri, eyes bright. “Would you...maybe wanna go get something to eat?”

 

“I’d love to. Just let me change,” Yuri responded with vigor. 

 

On his way to the locker room, Yuri passed JJ, who had entered the rink sometime near the end of his and Yuuri’s conversation. Smirking, he nudged Yuri in the ribs, winking at him. “So that’s your cafe distraction.”

 

“Shut up.” 

 

Yuri flounced past him, before changing quickly and grabbing his bag, heading out with Yuuri behind him.

~~~~

 

Before he knew it, Yuri found himself thrilled by each interaction with his friend. It wasn’t just his bright smile each morning which bolstered him when he got his coffee. It was the text conversations, continuing later and later into the evening each time they spoke. It was the memes that Yuuri sent him, little jokes laced with happiness to improve his day. And finally, it was the fact that Yuri could tell him anything, even about his rinkmates. In short, he was just what he needed. 

 

Phichit had begun to notice the change in his friend as well. Though Yuuri had always been a happy person, it was an empty sort of happiness, an almost mandatory happiness. His smiles and laughter had a new warmth behind them, and he had started to seem more confident than before.  _ Meeting Yurio was definitely good for him.  _

 

As the Thai man walked into the empty-as-always cafe a month after the first meeting of the two Yuris, he spotted his friend behind the counter, looking at his phone and laughing. 

“What’s so funny?” he grinned, his Daemon squeaking and hopping about. 

 

“Oh, j-just something Yurio sent me. Why?”

 

“Just wondering. I’m glad to see him around these parts. He’s good for you. And at least we have one guaranteed customer a day!” He laughed a bit awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. “But seriously, what’s going on between you two? Something I should know about?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows wildly. 

 

“No, we’re just friends! I mean, of course he’s amazing at figure skating, and I’ve gone to watch him a few times, but that’s it. Totally platonic”. He blushed deeply, his Daemon curling up to hide its face once again. 

 

“Alright, I’ll believe you. If you need me, I’ll be in the back doing inventory, alright?”

 

“Alright” Yuuri answered quietly, picking his phone back up as his friend walked into the back room. But he couldn’t stop Phichit’s question from niggling in the back of his brain.  _ Are Yurio and I just friends? _

~~~~

 

Yuri didn’t know when he noticed, but sometime near the end of the month, he realized he was developing feelings for Yuuri. With all the texting and the time spent together, as little as it was, really, he supposed he should have seen this coming. But the 18-year-old found himself blindsided by the revelation.   _ Oh no. Oh no, this isn’t okay. He deserves...so much better than me. I can’t impose my feelings on him _ . Panicking internally, Yuri knew that with his schedule, his lifestyle, his personality-he couldn’t afford to get involved with anyone. He would just have to find a different cafe to visit. As for the texting, that would have to stop, too. Yuuri would move on, and find someone else much more suited to him.  _ Yes. Perfect.  _ It was...for the best, for the good of Yuuri. He couldn’t let his own emotions mess up someone else’s life, especially someone he--  _ No, this was for the best _ . Despite his internal assurances, he couldn’t help but feel a stone of loss and anxiety settle into his gut. .

 

~~~~

 

_ What happened to Yuri? I haven’t seen him in a while. Or heard from him.  _ He was reluctant to admit it to anyone but himself, but Yuuri missed the blond. It had been two weeks, and he hadn’t seen or heard any sign of the the other man. It was as if he had dropped off the face of the Earth. Though Yuuri felt like he was a pretty awkward conversation partner, he had become accustomed to that part of his daily routine and thought Yuri had, too. He was like a shot of espresso straight to his heart, brightening up his otherwise dull life.  _ Perhaps I did something wrong? Did I offend him in some way? Did he decide that I’m too boring to deal with everyday. Did I… _ Unable to stop his spiral of anxious thoughts, Yuuri barely noticed when his friend and coworker approached him from the back room. 

 

“Hey Yuuri, what’s up?”

 

“N-nothing Phichit! Nothing out of the normal. Completely ordinary. Yep yep yep. Do you need something?”

 

Sighing, Phichit rubbed a hand through the hair on the back of his neck, refusing to look at his friend. “Unfortunately, the cafe is doing worse than usual. I’m afraid that, unless we somehow make another 16,000 yen this month, we won’t be able to make rent. I...thought this was such a good idea. I’m so sorry, Yuuri.”

 

“Oh no! Is there something we can do? Maybe we can put out signs? Run a sale? There must be something that I can help with?”

 

“Try whatever you like, Yuuri. I’ll print up flyers. Let’s do our best. We won’t give up on Cafe Kachit yet, right?!”

 

“Right!”

 

Immediately, Yuuri headed to the back room, searching for chalk and other art supplies. Within a few minutes, he was off, brainstorming ideas ranging from “Free pastry with purchase of a large black coffee” to “Couples’ special! Pink latte for two, this week only!” He would make something work or he would die trying. 

~~~~

 

Six-and-a-half weeks after his initial vow to avoid the cafe (and the source of his feelings), Yuri decided that he would pay the object of his affections a visit. Avoidance had not worked. Perhaps seeing him would help him convince himself Yuuri was better off without him and his standoffishness. Maybe it was the key to getting his mind off his crush once and for all. As he approached the cafe, he was surprised to see a long line outside the building and another man working behind the counter.  _ What happened here? They never have this much traffic.  _ Pushing through the crowd, earning glares and shouts along the way, the blond approached the counter, the Daemon on his shoulder puffed up, ears laid back. 

 

“Excuse me, what’s going on here?”

 

“I’m sorry sir, we’re running a special right now and are very busy. Can I do something for you?” Phichit responded harriedly, his Daemon shaking in fear. 

 

“Yeah, where’s the guy who usually works here? Yuuri.”

 

“He went into the back 15 minutes ago. He was supposed to be getting more whip. I don’t know what’s going on. I would check on him, but…” he shrugged, embarrassed. The hamster on his shoulder looked at Yuri, concern clear in his eyes, even if Phichit did not express it in his words. 

 

Making a reckless decision he would more than likely regret later, Yuri grabbed the edge of the counter and vaulted over it, taking a second to straighten his hair out before bursting through the door into the back room. Looking around for the familiar sight of black hair and blue glasses, his heart nearly stopped when he finally spotted the man he was looking for. Laying sprawled out on the floor, two canisters of whipped cream rolled off to the side, he was so pale he nearly looked dead.  _ Did he die? No, his Daemon is still moving. Barely _ . Yuri approached, gently reaching out to touch his forehead. He hissed, pulling his hand back. Yuuri was burning up. Why did he work himself so hard?

 

Stirring a bit, the Japanese man opened his mouth, muttering slightly. 

 

“Yuuri! Are you okay? What did you say?”

 

“...uri...Yuri...daisuki…”

 

No way. There was no way he had heard that correctly. It had to be the fever. He decided to search the room for something to bring his fever down. Near the employee sink, he found a bar rag. Quickly wetting it, he approached Yuuri, turning him over with a bit of difficulty and pillowing his head on his legs, placing the cloth on his forehead. He had no idea how long he had been like this, but it was clear that whatever was going on with the cafe, Yuuri had been working far too hard.  _ If we were together, I’d...no, no, stop that. We can’t be together. It wouldn’t work. Just focus on Yuuri.  _

 

Laying there with the other man’s head on his legs, he had a lot of time to think about his feelings. He would have to push them aside. For now, and maybe forever. 

 

After 15 minutes or so, Yurio reached forward, feeling Yuuri’s forehead again. The fever wasn’t going down. If anything, it was spiking higher. He had to do something different. Shifting slightly to gently move Yuuri’s head off his lap, he sprung up and through the door, heading out front to talk to Phichit. 

 

“Where does Yuuri live? He’s sick. Badly sick. He needs to go home and rest”.

 

“I knew he was working too hard. I just didn’t know how hard,” Phichit sighs. Turning towards Yuri, he tells him, “Yes, he lives upstairs, in the apartment above the cafe.” He fishes in his pocket, handing him a key. “Here you go. Please, take care of him.” 

 

“I will. Don’t worry”.

 

Turning back towards the cafe full of customers, Phichit hears the door behind the counter open quietly and tried not to let his mind slip into a spiral of blame for the state his friend is currently in.

~~~~

 

Returning to the back room, Yurio ducked down, slipping his arms underneath Yuuri’s prone body and lifting him. He may not look it, but his lithe body hid a lot of lean muscle. Adjusting the other man into a bridal carry, Yuri looked across the back room, seeing a small staircase he hadn’t before.  _ That must lead up to Yuuri’s apartment, then.  _ They began to climb and after only a minute or so Yuri is unlocking the door, gently carrying the man in his arms over the threshold. 

 

The apartment wasn’t exactly what he was expecting. While it was small, of course, the decorations were much simpler than he thought they would be. Rather than plush sofas and piles of pillows, the large central room boasted sliding screen doors, a low table, and floor cushions.  _ Very traditional. _ Looking around for some place that looked like it could lead to a bedroom, he spotted a small hallway sprouting off of the living room, with a door at the end. That must be it. 

 

Sliding the door open, Yurio spotted a small, but plush, bed tucked into the corner of the room.  _ Guess I wasn’t entirely wrong about his cuddly side after all _ . With a small smile, he crossed the room in two strides, pulling the heap of covers down and placing Yuuri in the center of the bed before pulling them back over him.  _ Time to get to work on making him better. _

 

Heading to the kitchen, he began to search for a towel. Finding one in a low drawer, he ran it under the cold water, then ran it back to the bedroom and placed it on Yuuri’s head.  _ That should help a bit. Now to make him some soup. _ Looking through Yuuri’s cabinets and fridge told him that unfortunately, he would have to leave in order to make said soup. One could not get well off of old takeout and a few stray tea packets languishing in the cabinet corner. Peeking into the bedroom, he saw that Yuuri was still sleeping, cheeks flushed and sweaty. Heading out would be the right decision. 

 

Twenty minutes later, and with some help from his dedushka, Yurio was standing in the kitchen surrounded by chicken, carrots, celery, noodles, and fresher tea. He got to work, boiling the chicken, chopping the vegetables, shredding the meat, and adding spice to taste. After another eight minutes to cook the noodles, he loaded a bowl with the soup, making sure to put lots of meat and veggies into the serving, and set it on a tray with some fresh ginger tea. Walking through the door, he was surprised to see Yuuri sitting up, looking rather confused about how he had gotten into his apartment. 

 

“Yuuri! How long have you been awake? Lay back down!”

 

“Only for a couple of minutes”, Yuuri rasped, his face contorting in pain as he spoke. “How did I get here?”

 

“I brought you up. You were passed out on the cafe floor. Why have you been working so hard?”

 

Blushing in shame, his Daemon hiding its face, he said “Because if I don’t, we’ll lose the cafe. We haven’t been doing well”. 

 

Raising his eyebrows a bit, Yuuri cleared his throat. “Passing out from overwork doesn’t help the cafe either. I know how hard you work, and I would miss the cafe, but I would miss you more if something happened to you”. Realizing what he had just said, and seeing the look of shock on Yuuri’s face, he cut the other man off before he could respond. “Come on, eat your soup”.

 

“You made soup?”

 

“Yes. And ginger tea. So eat up.”

 

Settling the tray on the other man’s lap, he handed him a spoon for the soup. Unfortunately, it would seem Yuuri was even weaker than he thought, because when he moved a spoonful of hot soup toward his lips, it fell out of his grasp and onto the sheets.

 

“Oh no, I’m so sorry!”

 

“It’s alright. Here, let me help you.”

 

Grabbing the towel that had been on Yuuri’s forehead, which had lost its coolness long ago, he cleaned up the spilled soup, and took the spoon from him, dipping it into the soup again and holding it out to him. “Open up”. 

 

With help from Yurio, the soup was soon gone, and Yuuri was propped up with more pillows behind his back, sipping his tea. Standing up, Yuri grabbed the bowl and tray, intending to head towards the kitchen and begin cleaning up. The last thing the Japanese man needed to deal with was a pile of dirty dishes while he was trying to get well.

 

“Hey, Yurio?”

 

Looking back, Yuri was surprised to see Yuuri ducking his head down, his Daemon once again hiding its face in its quills. Yuuri’s face was red in a way he would assume was a blush if he hadn’t been feverish.  

His own Daemon flicking its tail slowly, he set the tray down on a small side table, turning fully towards him and speaking. “Yes, Yuuri?”

 

“There’s...something I’d like to talk about. I-if that’s okay?”

 

Oh no.  _ He figured out I like him. And he’s gonna tell me that he hates me now. Idiot, idiot, idiot! _ Trying to calm himself (rather unsuccessfully, truth be told), he settled himself on the edge of the bed. “Yes?”

 

“W-why did you help me? When you saw me passed out, I mean?”

 

“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t I help you?” he asked, shocked. 

 

“It’s just...most people would help by calling a doctor or something. Not...not taking care of me personally” he finished, voice low and small. 

 

Oh. OH. Why  _ had  _ he volunteered himself to help Yuuri personally? “Well…” he began, “I suppose once I saw you laying there, so sick, I knew that you would do better at home. And luckily, you lived really close by” he chuckled lightly. 

 

“Yurio, do you…”. Yuuri ducked his head down, steeling himself as if he were facing Goliath. “Do you...like me?”

 

Shit. Yurio definitely wasn’t expecting this today. He thought when he carried Yurri home that he would take care of him for a bit, then head back to his own life. Apparently the man had other plans.  _ Should he answer? What if he knew the truth? Would he still want to be friends with him? Or would he push him away?  _ He wasn’t sure if he could go back to the life he had before he met Yuuri. Even though they had only known each other for less than two months, Yuri knew that his life was better with Yuuri in it. Could he live without his coffee? His smiles? His brightness?  _ No,  _ he decided.  _ I need him. I can’t...I can’t let him go. _

 

Looking up from the blankets to see Yurio’s shocked face, his Daemon puffed up like a pom pom, Yuuri knew he had fucked up. He had completely blown it. Yurio hated him now. He must, judging by the way he was acting. He had to take it back. Pass it off as a joke, somehow. Shaking slightly, he opened his mouth, ready to tell Yuri he hadn’t meant it, when the other man beat him to the punch.

 

“Yes. I tried hard not to, but yes.”

 

Yuuri looked up. His mouth dropped open. There’s no way he had heard that right.

 

Tearing up slightly, Yurio reached forward, and gently grabbed Yuuri’s hands. 

 

“I...I love you, Yuuri. I’ll understand if you hate me after this, but that’s the reason I was avoiding you. Why I ignored your phone calls and texts. Why I stopped coming to the cafe. I thought...” he paused, sniffling, “I thought you’d reject me. That I wasn’t good enough for you. I’m gone all the time, I practice long hours, I’m an asshole. You deserve better. So much better than me. But I’ve wanted to hold you and kiss you for weeks now. To post pictures of us. To call you mine. I...I’m sorry”. He ducked his head down, hiding his face. There’s no way he could face Yuuri after this. There’s no way he could want him.

 

To say that Yurio’s words were a surprise would be an understatement. But they were exactly what Yuuri had needed to hear. Slowly, he pulled a hand free from Yuri’s grip, and reached forward to tilt his head up.

 

“I really, really love you, Yuri Plisetsky.”

 

“What?” Yurio whispered. The Siamese on his shoulder looked up, peering at Yuuri with interest.

 

“I love you, Yuri. I could never hate you. Never. And...” Yuuri chuckled bitterly, “I thought you hated me. I thought that’s why you stopped coming to the cafe--that you figured out I had fallen for you. I knew that you were so much better than me. You’re beautiful, and talented, and I’m just...a cafe owner. A nobody. If anyone deserves better than me, it’s you. I tried so long to hold it in, but after today, when I saw that you had taken care of me, even though you didn’t have to...I knew I had to tell you. I just didn’t expect it to go like this”. 

 

The room was quiet for a moment. Deathly so. Then a smile, bright as a sunflower, bloomed on Yuri’s face, and his Daemon mewed loudly. “Do you really mean it? You love me?”

 

“Of course, Yurio. I would never lie to you”. Yuuri smiled too, his hedgehog Daemon bouncing around. Yuri felt a 40-ton weight lift from his heart.

 

“I guess we were both idiots. I’m so sorry.” 

 

“Don’t worry about it. It’s alright now.” Somehow, it was, too. 

 

“If only you weren’t sick. I want to kiss you right now,” Yuri grinned, standing up from the bed once again. “Now you lay back down and get better, you hear me?”

 

With a cheeky smile, Yuri stood up unsteadily, grabbed Yurio, and spun him around. Reaching up, he pulled the blond down, and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “Yes, love,” he responded, then laid back down before Yurio could punish him. Even being ill, everything felt right in his world. He had found his place, and he would not let it go. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> The song Yuri performs his free skate routine to is Roundtable Rival by Lindsey Sterling: https://youtu.be/jvipPYFebWc .


End file.
